Smart cards are electronic portable devices comprising an electronic module embedded in a plastic card body. The electronic module comprises an integrated circuit and contacts (also known as contact area) for connection to an electronic device (e.g. a terminal like a mobile telephone).
Smart cards known as Subscriber Identification Modules or SIM cards are inserted in mobile telephones in order for the mobile telephone users to gain access to the different services offered on the mobile telecommunication networks by the mobile telecommunication operators.
Typically, a SIM card has a standardized format of 25×15 mm defined in ETSI standard GSM 11.11 “Specification of the Subscriber Identity Module—Mobile Equipment (SIM-ME) interface”. Such a SIM card is also known as “plug-in” card because the mobile telephone user plugs the SIM card in a specific cavity of the mobile phone.
Usually, plug-in cards are manufactured on manufacturing equipment handling smart cards having a standardized format of 85.6×54 mm defined in ISO standard 7810. Such an ISO standard compliant card is also known as an “ID-1” card. The manufacturing process comprises a first step during which an ID-1 card is manufactured and a second step during which appropriate cavities and partial pre-cut shapes are made on the ID-1 card so as to define the plug-in card. Thus, cards are manufactured in such a way that they respect both ID-1 card format (as far as the plug-in card is not removed) and plug-in card format (as soon as the plug-in card is removed from ID-1 card).
The cards manufacturer delivers cards having the ID-1 card format. The cavities and partial pre-cut shapes allow a mobile telephone user to handily remove the plug-in card from the ID-1 card in order to insert it in the mobile telephone.
Now, a third type of card having a standardized format of 15×12 mm is defined by ETSI standard TS102221 “Smart cards; UICC interface; Physical and logical characteristics”, Such an ETSI standard compliant card is also known as a “mini” card. The mini cards are also manufactured according to a similar manufacturing process on the same manufacturing equipment as the ID-1 card and the plug-in card as described hereinbefore.
Consequently, for mobile telecommunication application, smart cards can have 3 different form factors or shapes: “ID-1”, “plug-in” and “mini”. The mini card format is included inside the plug-in card format. The plug-in card format is included inside the ID-1 card formal.
Usually the cavities are performed on the card body thanks to appropriate molding or to mechanical punching combining die and matrix. The card manufacturing process with 3 different form factors on a same card body is difficult to implement due to the proximity of the limit of the plug-in card and the limit of the mini card. In particular, the manufacturing equipments (e.g. tools) are difficult to design and to manufacture. This situation leads to an increase of the manufacturing costs.
Normally, the plug-in card should be detached or separated from the ID-1 card, and subsequently the mini card should be detached or separated from the plug-in card. Now, according to the current manufacturing method as described hereinbefore, the structure of card delivered to a mobile telephone user is a ID-1 card format with the plug-in card and mini card delimited on it through appropriate cavities and partial pre-cut shapes. A mobile telephone user could unwillingly or mistakenly separate the mini card directly from the ID-1 card. As this operation is irreversible, he will not be able to insert the card anymore in a mobile telephone compliant with the plug-in card format.